Sect. 1XIX. 5. 1. ABSORBENTS. f#* 



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whence the urine becomes ftill lefs in quantity, and of a deeper' 

 colour, and turbid like the yolk of an egg, owing to a greater ab- 

 sorption of its thinner parts. From this ftronger action- of thole 

 abforbents, which iiill retain their irritability, the fat is alio ab- 

 sorbed, and the whole body becomes emaciated. This increafed 

 exertion of fome branches of the lymphatics, while others are 

 totally or partially paralytic, is refembled by what confcantly oc- 

 curs in the hemiplegia 5 when the patient has loft the ufe of the 

 limbs on one fide, he is mcefTantly moving thofe of the other -, 

 for the moving power, not having accefs to the paralytic limbs^ 

 becomes redundant in thofe which are not difeafed. 



The paucity of urine and third cannot be explained from a 

 greater quantity of mucilaginous fluid being depofited in the 

 cellular membrane : for though thefe fymptoms have continued 

 many weeks, or even months, this collection frequently does 

 not amount to more than very few pints. Hence alio the dif- 

 ficulty of promoting copious fweats in anafarca is accounted for, 

 as well as the great thirft, paucity of urine, and lofs of fat ; fmce, 

 when the cutaneous branch of abforbents is paralytic, or nearly 

 fo, there is already too fmall a quantity of aqueous fluid in the 

 blood : nor can thefe torpid cutaneous lymphatics be readily ex- 

 cited into retrograde motions. 



Hence likewife we underftand, why in the afcites, and fome 

 other dropfies, there is often no thirft, and no paucity of urine 5 

 in thefe cafes the cutaneous abforbents continue to do their office. 



Some have believed, that dropfies were occafioned by the in- 

 ability of the kidneys, from having only obferved the paucity of 

 urine ; and have thence laboured much to obtain diuretic medi- 

 cines *, but it is daily obfervable, that thofe who die of a total in- 

 ability to make water, do not become dropfical in confequence 

 of it : Fernelius mentions one, who laboured under a perfect fup- 

 preflion of urine during twenty days before his death, and yet 

 had no fymptoms of dropfy. Pathol. 1. vi. c. 8. From the 

 fame idea many phyficians have reftrained their patients from 

 drinking, though their third has been very urgent ; and fome 

 cafes have been published, where this cruel regimen has been 

 thought advantageous : but others of nicer obfervation are of 

 opinion, that it has always aggravated the diftreiTes of the patient ^ 

 and though it has abated his lwellings, yet by inducing a fever it 

 has haftened his difTolution. See Traafa&ions of the College, 

 London, vol. ii. p. 235. Cafes of Dropfy by Dr. G. Baker. 



The cure of anafarca, fo far as refpecis the evacuation of the 

 accumulated fluid, coincides with the idea of the retrograde ac- 

 tion of the lymphatic fyftem. It is well known that vomits, and 

 other drugs, which induce ficknefs or naufea, at the fame time 



that 



